


Planetary Profile: Ferris Fields

by SandstoneSunspear



Series: Supergirl!Mass Effect AU [2]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Mass Effect!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SandstoneSunspear/pseuds/SandstoneSunspear
Summary: Some worldbuilding I had to do because I couldn't write the rest of the fic without it.
Series: Supergirl!Mass Effect AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679488
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	Planetary Profile: Ferris Fields

**Ferris Fields, Location and Geography**

Ferris Fields is an Alliance colony located in the Haven’s Drift Nebula, a cluster that is in-between the Omega and Crescent Nebulas, and south-east of the Hourglass Nebula. There are four planets and an asteroid belt. Ferris Fields is the name of the system’s habitable world, which orbits the star  Tonaltzintli[1]. Though much of the system is named using the Spanish and Nahuatl languages, the planet and system themselves were named after their discoverer; Captain Carol Ferris[2], an Alliance captain who stumbled into the region after an error in relay jump coordinates. 

Ferris Fields I (often referred to as Xiuhtecuhtli[3], after the Aztec god of fire, day, and heat) is a stereotypical tidally locked “heat blasted rock” the size of Mars. Xiuhtecuhtli is rich in key minerals such as iridium and Element Zero. Prior to the Reaper War, there was considerable discussion regarding the potential for a commercial mining set up on the night-side of the planet. 

Ferris Fields II (also just called Ferris Fields) is the system’s habitable planet. The planet is remarkably earth-like, with gravity being slightly higher (1.12 g) and air pressure slightly lower (appx 26 in Hg @ sea level). The length of the planet’s days and year are slightly shorter than that of Earth, at 21.8 Earth-hours and 0.9 Earth-years respectively. Ferris Fields has an extensive hydrosphere with three-fourths of the planetary surface covered in salt water. Archipelagos are the norm of the planet, with the two largest land masses each being roughly the size of Australia.

The divided nature of Ferris Fields’ land masses has given rise to an incredible amount of biodiversity in both local flora and fauna, akin to that found on Earth’s South American region. While Element Zero has been found on Ferris Fields proper, it is only present in small amounts and in isolated regions[4]. Consequently, the “biotic animal” phenomenon that is common on other life-bearing worlds containing eezo is rather rare on Ferris Fields. Human biotics are also uncommon, though not unheard of[5]. 

In the eyes of the original colonial planners, however, Ferris Fields’ most important feature was its small rotational axis (14 degrees) stabilised by a single large moon called San José[6] (after the patron saint of travellers, immigrants, and pioneers). The climate on Ferris Fields is relatively stable, due in part to the small rotational axis of the planet. However, there are significant regional differences that depend on the region’s latitude, altitude, and proximity to the sea. Despite this, season shifts are typically a minor affair, with differences between mean summer and winter temps averaging less than 12 degrees C. The result is that the planet can maintain a near continuous growing season for most terran crops[7]. It is this feature, combined with Ferris Fields position on the galactic map, that ultimately led to the Systems Alliance to grant final colonisation rights to La Liga Colonial de Ferris Fields LTD.[8], which sought to develop the planet as an agriculture-trading outpost.

Like Earth, Ferris Fields is a tectonically active planet. Its most notable and spectacular geographic feature are the Andes Grandes. Caused by a plate subduction, the Andes Grandes rise dramatically out of the Francisco Ocean[9] to a height of nearly 5,000 meters before gently fading into the Río Paraná river basin. 

As on many worlds that humans have settled on, the colonists of Ferris Fields tended to name regions on their new home after similar regions back on Earth. A recent ANN report found that there were no fewer than 14 “New California’s” throughout the Systems Alliance colonies. Though lacking a “Nueva California,” Mindoir does have a Nueva Chile, a Nova Brasil, a Nueva Cuba, a Nueva Philippines, and a Nueva Hawai’i. Ferris Fields decided early on to use the Spanish “Nueva,” as opposed to the standard English “New” to specifically distinguish regions on Ferris Fields from regions on other colonies. Nova Brasil is the only exception to Ferris Fields naming scheme, which uses the Portuguese “Nova,” in honour of the Brazillian ancestry possessed by the colonists who settled in that region.

In terms of overall climate, Ferris Fields features temperature ranges that are approximately similar to those on Earth. Permanent ice caps cover both the northern and southern poles, while the equatorial region is dominated by tropical jungles. Grasslands and forests can be found at middle latitudes. The only biomes Ferris Fields lack are dry, hot Great Deserts. There are no equivalents to the Sahara, the Gobi, or deserts of Western Australian to be found on Ferris Fields. That does not mean, however, that Ferris Fields completely lacks deserts. Portions of the coastline, known as La Casa de Tlactecuhtli[10], at the base of the Gran Andes resemble that of Earth’s Atacama desert. There are also areas on a few of the larger land masses where a resident from Texas or Arizona might feel at home. 

The main colony of Ferris Fields is located near the southern portion of the Andes Grandes at an elevation of approximately 900 meters above sea level. Because of its close proximity to the Francisco Ocean, the region endures hot, humid summers and mild winters, making it ideal for agriculture. 

Between Ferris Fields II (the habitable planet) and Ferris Fields III lies the San Pedro Asteroid Belt. While fairly typical for an asteroid belt, its proximity to Ferris Fields makes it attractive for deep-space mining and heavy industry development.

Ferris Fields III and Ferris Fields IV, or Coatlicue and Huitzilopochtli, are two hydrogen-helium gas giants approximately 2 times the mass of Jupiter. Coatlicue in particular is noted as a potentially lucrative source of H3 fuel[11].

**Population, Demographics, Culture**

The capital of Ferris Fields is located on Machu Picchu[12] Station, a multipurpose space station that houses the Ferris Fields Colonial Senate and militia command. It is in geosynchronous orbit around Ferris Fields directly above the largest planet-side settlement, Nueva Ciudad Mexico[13]. 

Following the Abduction of Ferris Fields, the current population of Ferris Fields is less than 10,000 individuals, 85% of whom are human. The remaining 15% of Ferris Fields' population consists of Asari, Lysenthi Salarians, and Batarianss. Of the non-humans, the largest racial group is Asari, many of whom are educated business women who travelled to the planet on behalf of businesses based out of Illium. Shortly before the Abduction in 2185, a clan of 500 Lysenthi Salarians and 200 low caste Batarians officially immigrated to Ferris Fields from Omega. 

As with many System Alliance colonies, the human population is ethnically diverse.  The original settlement was predominantly made up of people from Central and South America (mostly Chilean, Brazillian, Argentinian, and Peruvians, with substantial Mexican, Bolivian, and British[14] minorities). The official languages of Ferris Fields are: Spanish, Portuguese, Nahuatl, and English.

Cuisine of Ferris Fields is mainly a mix of Central and South American styles. Dishes featuring beef and pork, such as feijoada, are common, as is seafood.

One of the easiest ways to spot an offworlder is by the clothing they wear. Unlike the natives of Ferris Fields, many of whom wear the traditional clothing of their indigenous Earth ancestors, offworld visitors can often be found wearing clothing made from artificial fibers. As an agricultural colony, Ferris Fields produces high quality natural fabrics (like silk and wool) and natural clothing. In contrast to places like the Citadel or Illium, clothing made from cotton, silk, wool, leather, linen, etc., are the rule for the general population of Ferris Fields rather than the exception.

Because of its position within the Terminus Systems, firearms on Ferris Fields are almost as common as omni-tools. Households on Ferris Fields typically own at least one military grade pistol (such as an M3 Predator, M6 Carnifex, or M5 Phalanx), though it is not uncommon for such weaponry to be heavily modified with black market technology[15].

Religion in Ferris Fields is diverse. While most of the original settlement population was made up of Roman Catholics, there was also a large population of Jews and Muslims from Argentina. Since the colony’s founding in 2152, the religious demographics have remained relatively static even when adjustments are made for religious conversions. 

Many of the churches on Ferris Fields use the Latin Rite when conducting their services; the handful of churches that are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church do not, instead choosing to conduct themselves according to Protestant practices. Churches that are affiliated with the Vatican fall under the Citadel Archdiocese[16]. 

The Muslim population of Ferris Fields is predominantly Sunni, with a small Twelver[17] Shi’ite community located in Nueva Ciudad Mexico. There are two mosques on Ferris Fields: one of which is located in Nueva Ciudad Mexico[18] and the other located in Nueva Philippines. Islamic legal rulings issued on Ferris Fields Sunni generally follow the Shafi’i school of thought, though rulings from visiting Hanafi, Hanbali, and Maliki scholars are on file and are consulted as needed. The Shi’ite community follow rulings based on the Ja’fari school of thought; their legal scholars have, on occasion, contributed to the legal rulings of their Sunni siblings.

The Jewish population of Ferris Fields is primarily of Sephardic descent, with a small Ashkenazi minority. Both groups share the three synagogues in the colony, which follow the Sephardic minhag[19] (specifically the Spanish and Portuguese variant). Consequently, denominational separations (e.g. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox) are not present to a noticeable extent, as individual approaches to halacha and observance are generally viewed as personal matters. 

**History**

The colony of Ferris Fields was founded in 2152 as a part of humanity’s earliest deep space colonial expeditions. Though the system and planet had been discovered five years earlier, few were willing to make the trip to colonise it due to its distance from the home system and location in the Terminus Systems. That sentiment changed in 2150, when the president of the Latin American Federation, Rigoberta Maria Nebaj[20], was assassinated by a delegate from Belize. The death of Nebaj sparked major unrest that culminated into violence after her killer, Ricardo Castillio, was acquitted by a jury that contained no indigenous people. The aftermath left many indigenous and minority communities feeling as though despite the promises made by the Federation, it was no longer safe for them to remain.

Though Ferris Fields was to serve as an agriculture-trading hub for the Alliance, its ultimate purpose was to serve as a home for those who no longer felt safe on Earth and no longer wished to live there. The original sponsor was La Liga Colonial de Ferris Fields, LTD.[21], a privately held multinational company that had belonged to the late Rigoberta Nebaj. The structure of the company was modeled off the earlier Alpha Centauri Foundation with one key difference: the stockholders of LLCdFF LTD were composed exclusively of those who would be settling in as colonists and developing the system, many of whom belonged to indigenous and minority communities. Those outside these communities and other private citizens who wished to become Ferris Fields colonists were required to purchase a stake in the world that they wished to colonise. In return for their investment, colonists would receive a “share” in the colony that equated to a combination of land and mineral rights that was proportional to their investment, rather than collective profits[22]. The idea behind such a move was to build up the additional capital needed to settle the system whilst also creating a colonial society that would not be dependent upon external patronage. The venture proved successful and in 2152, the first colonists arrived on Ferris Fields.

The original settlement population consisted of just over 90,000 individuals; steady immigration from Earth during the 2160s and 2170s meant that by 2185, the population had risen to about 350,000. While small for a colony, the number was still substantial enough to draw the attention of the Collectors. Their attack, known by the remaining locals as simply ‘The Abduction’ nearly destroyed the colony.

Testimony delivered by Cmdr. Alex Danvers during her trial[23] revealed that as devastating as the attack was to the colony, the Abduction was an unsuccessful one solely because the Collectors had left humans behind. This was largely due to the efforts of Vanessa Vasquez, a retired Alliance Marine. According to accounts given by various sources, she escaped the initial barrier set up around the main colony by Collectors and managed to make contact with her spouse, Lieutenant S. Vasquez[24], and alerted them to what was happening. Lieutenant Vasquez spread word to other colonists while their wife returned to the main colony with a group of survivors. This group proceeded to the main space port where the Collectors had landed their vessel, and overloaded the drive cores of the other ships that were docked in the area. The resulting explosion leveled half of the main colony, killing Vanessa Vasquez and her colleagues. In addition, the explosion damaged the Collector vessel enough that they were forced to end their campaign prematurely and retreat. 

Although the attack was ultimately unsuccessful, the Collectors still managed to abduct (and likely kill) 99% of the population. With the Reaper War underway, the future of the colony is uncertain.

**Author's Note:**

> [1] Nahuatl for Sun
> 
> [2] In her report to the Alliance, the Belgian native wrote 'even at a distance, the glow of the star reminds me of the sunsets one sees when standing in Flanders Fields. It fills me with a sense of awe and melancholy.' This description later provided the second portion of system name 'Fields.'
> 
> [3] Also the lord of volcanoes, warmth in cold, light in darkness
> 
> [4] Usually on one of the smaller islands. As such, smaller islands are not recommended as tourist destinations because the animals on those islands are enhanced by Element Zero and are generally Not Very Friendly.
> 
> [5] The original native human biotic population on Ferris Fields was the result of a starship accident in 2156. 98% of that population was wiped out following the Abduction of Ferris Fields.
> 
> [6] The Roman Catholic Church issued a complaint at the decision to name a moon after a saint, out of the fear that pioneer population (which contained peoples from Central and South American, some of whom were indigenous to the region) would come to worship the moon. They withdrew their complaint after it was pointed out that much of the population were devout Roman Catholics.
> 
> [7] This feature led to the colony garnering the nickname 'The Terminus' Mindoir'
> 
> [8] 'The Colonial League of Ferris Fields', a private, multinational company made up individuals whose home countries belonged Latin American Federation (est. 2100, shortly after the Second American Civil War).
> 
> [9] Named after the late Pope Francis, who reigned during the first half of the 21st century and gained notoriety as the first non-European pope elected to the office since the 8th century CE.
> 
> [10] 'The House of Tlaltecuhtli'. The original settlement population of Ferris Fields named the region that due to how harsh the area is and the river that runs red during the high amount of iron in the water.
> 
> [11] Aside from a handful of space platforms that had been built for survey work, Coatlicue was untapped prior to the Reaper War. After the Abduction, these platforms were quickly repurposed to allow for rapid fuel extraction, providing the Alliance with a valuable fuel stop in the region. After the Reapers invaded, the platforms were abandoned save for skeleton crews in order to give the appearance that they were nothing more than survey hubs. As a result, they were overlooked by the Reapers, allowing for discrete fuelings to continue until the end of the war.
> 
> [12] A likely homage to the Incan city in the clouds.
> 
> [13] Main trading hub of the planet. Vasquez and Vanessa lived here. Vasquez still has a house there.
> 
> [14] From the Falklands
> 
> [15] These modifications are officially frowned upon by the Alliance, though the Systems Alliance Parliament has agreed to look away due to Ferris Fields need for them.
> 
> [16] The Catholic churches on Ferris Fields are the only ones in the Terminus Systems that fall under the purview of the Citadel Archdiocese.
> 
> [17] Also known as Imamiyyah, the term Twelver refers to their belief in the 12 divinely ordained imams
> 
> [18] The mosque in Nueva Ciudad Mexico is shared by the Sunni and Shi’ite community.
> 
> [19] Hebrew for 'custom'
> 
> [20] She was elected president in 2149 and became the first Ixil woman to hold a prominent leadership position in the region. Her appointment proved controversial for some, with vocal traditionalist native-born Federation members finding issue with her Ixil heritage. Despite the controversy, many felt that her appointment marked a significant turning point for indigenous communities within the Federation.
> 
> [21] Originally known as La Liga Indígena, it was renamed and repurposed by Nebaj's widow to help finance and found a colony in Ferris Fields.
> 
> [22] Nebaj's widow was adamant that there be no collective profits.
> 
> [23] First human Spectre, Hero of the Citadel and the Skyllian Blitz, commanding officer of the SSV Normandy SR1 and SR2. She was placed on trial in early 2186 for her involvement with known terrorist organisation Cerberus, which resulted in the destruction of the Bahak System.
> 
> [24] Vasquez had been away from the main colony on a construction job.


End file.
